Peak hot chocolate season is already in full swing and, whether you prefer yours dressed up with whipped cream and marshmallows or as a simple cup of cocoa at bedtime, there’s an expectation that chocolate is the main ingredient in your mug.
However, many popular brands on supermarket shelves contain very little real cocoa – and often a dizzying list of other ingredients.
In the UK, to legally be called ‘drinking chocolate’ there must be a minimum of 25 per cent chocolate solid. Many brands get around this by labelling their products ‘instant hot chocolate’ instead.
A cup of Cadbury Instant Hot Chocolate, for example, serves up just 3.5 per cent of the brand’s famous milk chocolate, and only 15 per cent of ‘fat-reduced cocoa powder’.
There’s plenty of other ingredients though – 14 to be precise, including a quintet of E numbers that range from Anti-Caking Agent (E551) to Emulsifier (E442).
And Cadbury is far from the only brand serving up drinks that appear to be only masquerading as real hot chocolate – a Galaxy version has just 10 per cent cocoa powder, and many supermarket products, and particularly the instant ‘just add hot water’ varieties, have less than 20 per cent chocolate and cocoa powder combined in them.
With hot chocolate season in full swing – just how much cocoa is actually in your mug?
Jens Knoop, the German founder of hot chocolate chain Knoops, which uses simply high quality chocolate and the milk of your choice to make beverages in the 28 stores it now has nationwide, thinks many of the supermarket jars should be labelled ‘chocolate flavoured’ for full transparency.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, Knoop said: ‘The time of misleading the customer is over. People are reading the labels, educating themselves and doing their research. They know how much cocoa needs to be present in a product in order for it to be legally called chocolate.
‘Our menu at Knoops is split by cocoa percentages, which makes it very, very transparent and easy for the customer to understand what they’re ordering and how much cacao they want in their chocolate.’
What does Cadbury, arguably the UK’s best loved chocolate brand, say about the lengthy list of ingredients found in some of the drinking chocolate it sells in the nation’s supermarkets?
A spokesperson told the Daily Mail: ‘Cadbury has delighted consumers with our wide range of popular cocoa and hot chocolate products for over 200 years.
‘Our products meet all relevant regulations, whilst we provide clear information on pack so consumers can make informed decisions about what they purchase.’
Microbiome scientist, Dr Emily Leeming, author of Genius Gut, says good hot chocolate can actually be an ally to health.
‘Dark chocolate can bring some surprising nutrient benefits with it – 85 per cent dark chocolate is about 11 grams of fibre per 100 grams, which is more than you get with a can of beans for example.
‘It’s also packed with polyphenols, a group of compounds of antioxidants that are also, like fibre, thought to have a prebiotic effect – they feed the gut microbes.
‘For a healthier option, stick to cocoa powder rather than hot chocolate powder. Add your own sweetness, for example, honey or maple syrup, and that will give the comforting effect of a warm drink but you’re also getting a bit of fibre and those packed polyphenols for your health.’
Here, the Daily Mail looks at the cocoa contents of hot chocolates, from budget supermarkets to artisan drinks companies…
SUPERMARKET-SOLD HOT CHOCOLATES
Cadbury Instant Hot Chocolate Powder 300G
Cadbury Instant Hot Chocolate powder has 15% cocoa powder
PRICE: £4.00
COCOA CONTENT: 15% cocoa powder, 3.5% milk chocolate
Cadbury may be one of Britain’s best loved chocolate brands, dating back to 1824 when it began to make its name on the 100 per cent pure cocoa produced in the Bournville factory in Birmingham, but its current instant hot chocolate powder has just 15 per cent ‘fat-reduced cocoa powder’ and 3.5 per cent milk chocolate.
There’s also five E numbers, thanks to two types of emulsifier, anti-caking agent, acidity regulator and a thickener.
Galaxy Instant Hot Chocolate Drink 370G
Galaxy Instant Hot Chocolate Drink has 10% cocoa powder
PRICE: £4.00
COCOA CONTENT: 10% cocoa powder, 3% milk chocolate
This just-add-hot-water instant drink contains more sugar than it does cocoa powder alongside 20 other ingredients, including eight E numbers.
The instructions suggest four heaped teaspoons per mug ‘to enjoy the silky smoothness’, with a standard cup containing 99 calories and 2.2grams of fat.
Stockwell & Co Hot Chocolate 375G
Stockwell & Co Hot Chocolate has just 9% cocoa
PRICE: £1.49
COCOA CONTENT: Fat Reduced Cocoa Powder (9%)
Five teaspoons is the serving suggestion for this one, added to 200ml of hot water, from Tesco’s budget brand Stockwell & Co.
It’s a cost-effective choice at 40 pence per 100 grams and has the Rainforest Alliance seal, but has no real chocolate inside.
Cadbury Bournville Cocoa 250g
Cadbury Bournville Cocoa
PRICE: £4.45
COCOA CONTENT: 100%
If you stick to the wisdom that the least amount of items on the ingredients list, the better a product is for your health, then Cadbury’s Bournville cocoa powder is a winner.
This is almost entirely cocoa powder, with just the addition of an acidity regulator (potassium carbonates) in there.
Morrisons Savers Instant Hot Chocolate Drink
Morrisons Savers Instant Hot Chocolate Drink
PRICE: £1.59
COCOA CONTENT: 9% (fat reduced) cocoa powder
Morrisons is often praised for its range of fresh and healthy fruit and vegetables but the balanced approach has not been extended to the instant hot chocolate from its savers range which only offers 9 per cent cocoa powder and a range of thickeners, stabilisers, anti-caking agent and even a spoonful or two of coconut fat.
While reviews say it’s just as tasty as more expensive brands, it certainly doesn’t have the same cocoa content.
Aero Hot Chocolate
Aero Hot Chocolate powder
PRICE: £3.75
COCOA CONTENT: 25% fat-reduced cocoa powder
Aero has always prided itself on its bubbly chocolate since its peppermint inception in 1935, with fans of the sweet treat easily recognising its tagline of ‘Feel the bubbles melt’.
Its transition in to hot chocolate almost a given may have been a no-brainer for the brand but Aero fans might not be so pleased to know that their sweet drink contains several E numbers including acidity regulators and Xanthan gum to thicken it up.
But as hot chocolate brands go, it’s one of the healthier options.
Horlicks Chocolate Malt
Horlicks Chocolate Malt powder
PRICE: £4
COCOA CONTENT: 6.6% reduced fat cocoa powder
Horlicks has been creating milky malt drinks for almost 200 years since brothers William and James Horlicks first put their heads together 1873.
Their hot chocolate drink is advertised as being high in calcium, zinc and vitamins C, D and B12 and doesn’t have any artificial colours and flavours, sweeteners or preservatives.
What it does have however, is an array of E numbers including Anti-Caking Agent (E551), Stabilisers (E340ii, E452i), Emulsifier (E471) alongside palm oil.
Twinings Swiss Chocolate Drink Powder (350g)
Twinings Swiss Chocolate Drink Powder has 18% cocoa powder
PRICE: £5.40
COCOA CONTENT: 18% cocoa powder, 7% chocolate
The indulgent hot drink is produced by British beverage company Twinings which lauds itself for containing ‘real Swiss chocolate’.
But only 7 per cent of the Switzerland luxury choccy made it into the brand’s chocolate powder, alongside ’18 per cent fat-reduced cocoa powder’.
It also ‘may’ contain an uncertain amount of milk, along with mineral dicalcium phosphate, sunflower lecithin (emulsifier) and flavouring.
Lidl Bellarom Hot Chocolate Instant 400G
PRICE: £1.99
COCOA CONTENT: 15% cocoa powder
In a jar that’s very Cadbury purple, this product from Bellarom, Lidl’s own-brand range bears the Rainforest Alliance stamp promoting sustainable farming practices. Whey powder is the main ingredient, followed by sugar, with fat reduced cocoa powder third on the list. Any actual chocolate? No.
Costa Hot Chocolate Powder (300g)
Costa Hot Chocolate Powder has 30% cocoa
PRICE: £3.85
COCOA CONTENT: 36% cocoa powder
The high street coffeehouse chain has come a long way since its inception in London in 1971.
Costa now has its own brand of hot chocolate available in British supermarkets which uses the ‘finest cocoa beans’.
Alas, compared to others on our list, Costa’s contains 36 per cent cocoa powder, though it is also packed with maltodextrin, thickener and silicon dioxide (anti-caking agent).
Tesco Finest Belgian 45% Milk Hot Chocolate Flakes (250g)
45% Cocoa Milk Chocolate is Tesco’s offering
PRICE: £5.57
COCOA CONTENT: 45% Cocoa Milk Chocolate
Tesco’s upmarket line, aptly titled ‘Finest’, has branded its own offering as chocolate ‘flakes’ instead of the usual chocolate powder.
It uses 45 per cent ‘expertly crafted’ Belgian chocolate, throwing it miles ahead of some of the competition, whose chocolate content leaves much to be desired.
Additionally, its ingredients are listed as sugar, cocoa mass, dried whole milk, cocoa butter, low fat cocoa powder, emulsifier and flavouring.
Green & Black’s Organic Cocoa Fair Trade (125g)
Green and Black’s is 98% cocoa powder
PRICE: £3.40
COCOA CONTENT: 98% cocoa powder
And the winner is… this two-ingredient Green & Black’s hot chocolate features on our list with a whopping 98 per cent cocoa powder content. The British company – formerly owned by Cadbury’s – is marketed as a premier destination for all things organic when it comes to chocolate – and its ‘Cocoa Fair Trade’ is just that. It’s made with just the ‘finest organic cocoa beans’ and potassium carbonates.
Tesco Drinking Chocolate (400g)
PRICE: £1.99
COCOA CONTENT: 25% cocoa powder
25% cocoa powder is in Tesco’s value offering
The historic British supermarket chain is renown for its budget-friendly basics, including this bog-standard drinking chocolate.
However it only contains 25 per cent cocoa powder while solid chocolate itself isn’t mentioned in the ingredients list, and traces of milk ‘may’ be present.
Total ingredients listed are sugar, cocoa powder, maltodextrin, salt and flavouring.
M&S Drinking Chocolate 300g
PRICE: £3.75
COCOA CONTENT: 41% cocoa powder
M&S Drinking Chocolate
M&S’s drinking chocolate has minimal ingredients – with only sugar and cocoa powder listed on its website.
The instructions are simple: the chain recommends adding 250ml of hot semi-skimmed milk onto three heaped spoonfuls of the powder – notably not recommending hot water for this chocolatey beverage.
It’s 195 calories per serving, including the milk.
Knoops 70 per cent Extra Dark Hot Chocolate Flakes Tube 250g
Knoops 70% Extra Dark chocolate flakes
PRICE: £14.50
COCOA CONTENT: 70% extra dark chocolate
Hot chocolate specialist Knoops’ 70 per cent offering is ‘hand flaked’ in Rye, and they even recommend adding cinnamon or rosemary to spice things up.
However, you can’t simply warm up this premium offering in a microwave: Knoops recommends either a hot chocolate maker or combining 200ml of milk with eight teaspoons of flakes in a pan. The mix is described as ‘a bold and balanced dark chocolate with a hint of sweetness and deeper cocoa intensity’.
Starbucks Signature Chocolate 42% powder
Starbucks Signature Chocolate 42% powder
PRICE: £4.65
COCOA CONTENT: 42% cocoa powder, contains 88% chocolate powder and 10% fat-reduced cocoa powder
Starbucks’ hot chocolate powder is said to be inspired by the drinks that the baristas make in store, boasting the same ‘velvety and smooth chocolate taste’. They recommend five teaspoons for every serving, alongside 200ml of warm semi-skimmed milk. It contains 88 per cent chocolate powder, 10 per cent fat-reduced cocoa powder, an emulsifier and natural flavourings. It makes 15 mugs per tin.
Cocoa Canopy Smooth Milk Drinking Hot Chocolate 225G
Cocoa Canopy Smooth Milk Drinking Hot Chocolate
PRICE: £5.50
COCOA CONTENT: 37% Cocoa ‘chocolatier-crafted’ cocoa powder
At £5.50, Cocoa Canopy Smooth Milk Drinking Hot Chocolate is one of the pricier drinking chocolates on the market, but with 37 per cent cocoa powder, it might be worth the extra cash. Unlike typical hot chocolate, Cocoa Canopy’s offering is made of little chocolate beads, which customers should whisk with hot milk. In addition to having a higher cocoa content than others, it’s also palm oil-free.
Morrisons The Best Hot Chocolate 300G
Morrisons The Best Hot Chocolate
PRICE: £3.75
COCOA CONTENT: 26% Fat Reduced Cocoa Powder, 5% Belgian Chocolate Powder
It’s one of the finer options on offer at Morrisons, but despite being branded as ‘indulgent’, Morrisons The Best Hot Chocolate only contains 5 per cent Belgian Chocolate Powder.
What makes up the bulk of its chocolate content is fat-reduced cocoa powder at 26 per cent.
However, while the chocolate content might disappoint some, there aren’t any pesky E numbers, and it has fewer ingredients overall.
Ovaltine Chocolate Light 300G
Ovaltine Chocolate Light
PRICE: £4.30
COCOA CONTENT: 7% fat-reduced cocoa powder
Ovaltine Chocolate Light promises a ‘delicious chocolatey drink’, while containing just seven per cent ‘fat-reduced cocoa powder’. The product is presented as a more nutritious option due to the addition of essential vitamins C, B6, and B12. However, with the presence of E numbers, stabilizers, and thickeners, just how ‘wholesome’ the beverage is remains unclear.
Clipper Fairtrade Instant Hot Chocolate 350g
Clipper Fairtrade Instant Hot Chocolate
PRICE: £4.10
COCOA CONTENT: 15% cocoa powder
Clipper Fairtrade Hot Chocolate has a simple recipe with just four ingredients: sugar, skimmed milk powder, milk permeate powder, and cocoa powder. The cocoa makes up a respectable 15 per cent of the product. While the recipe is appealing, the company, as the product name suggests, also takes an ethical stance, striving to improve the welfare of the workers.
Willie’s Cacao Hot Chocolate
Willie’s Cacao Hot Chocolate
PRICE: £8.65
COCOA CONTENT: 52% Cacao Vegan
It costs a pretty penny, but Willie’s Cacao Hot Chocolate has an impressive 52 per cent cocoa content.
The vegan product has just two ingredients, with the addition of raw cane sugar. To make the drink, workers at Willie Harcourt-Cooze’s farm in Venezuela roast the beans, let the flavour develop for up to 21 days, and then press out some butter and mill the rest into a powder with raw cane sugar.
JUST ESSENTIALS by ASDA Instant Hot Chocolate 375G
PRICE: £1.49
JUST ESSENTIALS by ASDA Instant Hot Chocolate
COCOA CONTENT: 9% cocoa powder
ASDA’s Just Essentials brand, which provides ‘basic essentials’ at the store’s ‘lowest price’, offers an Instant Hot Chocolate that is free from artificial flavours and artificial colours. Priced at £1.49, it looks like a steal – until you read the small print, which reveals that the product contains just 9 per cent ‘fat-reduced cocoa powder’ and not even a milligram of chocolate.
There are, however, various thickeners, emulsifiers and stabilisers.
ASDA Extra Special Fairtrade Indulgent Drinking Chocolate 300G
ASDA Extra Special Fairtrade Indulgent Drinking Chocolate
PRICE: £3.48
COCOA CONTENT: 41% cocoa powder, 39% cocoa solids
ASDA’s Extra Special Fairtrade Indulgent Drinking Chocolate does what is says on the tin, that is, it provides a very indulgent, chocolatey experience thanks to its high cocoa content.
The product contains 41 per cent cocoa powder and 39 per cent cocoa solids and, since the only other ingredient is sugar, promises to be a rich and satisfying hot drink.
Options Instant Belgian Hot Chocolate Drink 220G
Options Instant Belgian Hot Chocolate Drink
PRICE: £3.36
COCOA CONTENT: 21% cocoa powder, 7% Belgian chocolate
With a cup of Options Instant Belgian Hot Chocolate Drink famously providing just 40 calories, it won’t come as a surprise that the product contains relatively little cocoa powder (21 per cent) and minimal Belgian chocolate (7 per cent).
To make matters worse, there are four different E numbers, thanks to the inclusion of emulsifiers, an anti-caking agent and a stabiliser.
Whittard Luxury Milk Hot Chocolate 350G
PRICE: £11.95
Whittard Luxury Milk Hot Chocolate
COCOA CONTENT: 39% cocoa solids
At £11.95, Whittard’s Luxury Milk Hot Chocolate is pricey, which is unsurprising given it is a well known and trusted British heritage brand that dates back to 1886.
Fortunately, the product appears to be commensurate with its cost. It contains 39 per cent cocoa solids and only four other ingredients, though the quantities of the sugar, salt, dextrose and flavouring are not specified.
Aldi Dairyfine Instant Hot Chocolate 400G
Aldi Dairyfine Instant Hot Chocolate 400G
PRICE: £1.99
COCOA CONTENT: 13% fat-reduced cocoa powder, milk chocolate 4%
From Aldi’s Dairyfine range, this £1.99 just-add-hot-water instant hot chocolate includes a photo of a steaming mug of hot chocolate with two squares of chocolate…but the ingredients list is lengthy and complex, with sugar listed first, and other highlights including silicone dioxide, thickeners and the binder carboxymethylcellulose.
